Arthur peimeose young



g- 1932- A. P. YOUNG ET AL 1,870,032

ELECTRIC- CONTACT BREAKER Filed Oct. 24-, 1929.

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Inventors: Arthur F? yin-Lang, Lemawd Gr' i'F'Fiths,

Their AtConne-v Patented Aug. 2, 1932 nmrao "STATES PATENT! OFFICEARTHUR PBIIBOSE YOUNG, F KENILWORTH, AND LEONARD GRIFFITHS, OF

COVENTRY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A. CORPORA-TION OF NEW YORK ELECTRIC CONTACT BREAKER Application tiled October .24,1929, Serial No. 402,171, and in Great Britain November 10, 1928.-

This invention relates to electric-contact breakers such as are used inconnection with magneto electric machines or with coil ignitionapparatus for internal Combustion en gines. The contact breakers usedwith such apparatus'have usually been operated mecbanically and theobject of this invention is to provide a magnetically operated contactbreaker which is inexpensive to manufacm ture and which will beeificient in operation.

The various features of novelty which characterize our invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a vs better understanding of ourinvention, reference may be had to the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an endelevation of an electrical contact breaker embod ing our invention, andFig. 2 is a longitu inal section on the line A-B of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, a driving member or spindle 1 has mountedthereon sets of permanent magnets 3 and 4. A moving.

2 contact 10 carried by a soft inner armature 11 is resiliently mountedon a spring 12 in proximity to the path of the magnet pole pieces. Afixed contact 7 is adapted to be engaged by the movable contact when thecontrolling force or bias of the spring 12 overcomes the pull of themagnets.

Firmly secured to the driving spindle 1 is a sleeve 2 of non-magneticmaterial and threaded on this sleeve are two sets of permanent'magnets 3and 4, set 4 being centrally spaced between elements of set 3. Thesemagnets are of approximately circular. or split-ring form and haveradially projectin pole pieces at their adjacent ends, marked and S inFig. 1. These magnets ma be stamped from sheet metal if desired. achmagnet set is so grouped on the spindle that its pull is centrallybalanced with regard to the width of the armature. In the arrange- 5ment shown, ..which provides for two breaks per revolution of thespindle, the two sets of magnets have their pole ends set diametricallyopposite and the magnets are separated by spacing washers 5 and 6 ofnon-magnetic material. After the magnets and spacing washers havebeenassembled on the sleeve, the part of the sleeve at 2' is pressed up, asby spinning, this being a convenient method of holding the assemblagetogether.

The adjustably fixed contact 7 is held in a bracket 8 secured to thecontact breaker base but insulated therefrom. The moving contact 10 issecured to an are shaped soft iron strip 11 which is held by a curvedspring 12, so as to normally hold the two contacts in engagement. Theends of the spring are held by posts 13 and 14 secured to the base 9 atopposite sides of the fixed contact. As the magnet poles. pass the faceof thesoft iron strip, they attract it against'the force of the sprlng.

Suitable stops prevent the soft iron armature strip from coming intoactual contact with the magnet poles, a convenient arrangement being twostout springs 12?, which may be made'integral with springs 12, securedto the posts 13 and 14, and which bear on chamfered edges of thearmature strip when the contacts have separated b a predeterminedamount. Such additiona springs could be made either of fairly heavygauge phosphor bronze, or tempered steel and adjusted on assembly toprevent the armature from actual 1y touching the magnet poles.-

More than one pair of contacts may be secured to the contact base 9 andthe magnets may be so arranged as to open them simultaneously or insuccession.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is:

A contact breaker comprising a spindle,

a set of permanent magnets having radially projecting poles at theiradjacent extremities and mounted on said spindle, a fixed contact, anarc-shaped armature, a contact carried thereby and a bent flat spring,said armature being held by the midportion of said spring, said springbeing secured to supports at opposlte sides of said fiized contact,' 5said fixed contact adapted to be engaged by the movable contact when thecontrolling force of the spring overcomes said magnet. In Witnesswhereof, we have hereto set our hands this 4th day of October, 1929.ARTHUR PRIMROSE YOUNG.

LEONARD GRIFFITHS.

